Shoe-tree.



W. L. KOHLER.

SHOE TREE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.14, 1900.

Patented July 6, 1909.

of'which the following is a specification.

it is in place therein.

of thin metal which is stamped, cast, or 'otherwiseformed into the'proper shape to the form and these overlapped e ges are sea skeleton frame or support for the shoe u 'UNETEED STATES hrilhliilll lllilllllfililu WILLIAM L. KOHLER, OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MIllllGAN.

SHOE-TREE.

Application filed January 14,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

} Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. Kounnu, a citizenoi the United States, residing at Mount Clemens, in the county of Macomb and State oi Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe lrees,

This invention relates to an improved shoe tree or form and its object is to providea light, cheap, and durable device for the pur pose which is so constructcdthat it may be quickly'and easily adjusted to vary its width or length to fit shoes of difi'er'entsizes; and further its construction is such as to provide a free circulation of air to dry the shoe when A further object of this invention is to provide the body of the form with adjustable means for stretching the shoe upper at a particular point where it is desired to relieve the pressure of the some upon that particular portion of the foot of the wearer and it is also an object of the invention to provide certain other new and useful features in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts all as hereinafter more fully described refer ence bein had to the accompanying drawin s, in w ich, D

l igure 1' is a perspective view of a device embed ring this invention. F ig. 2 a longitudina section of the seine. Fig. 3 a transverse section on the line :cw of Fig. 2. Fig 4 a similar section on the line 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional detail showing the stretcher in place upon the form.

The body-of the device is preferably made lit the inside of a shoe and is made of three parts, the toe "portion of the body of the orm. being divided longitudinally into two 3 along the center line of the up 781 side of cured together by'pius 4 in the edge of onehalf ofthe form extending through transverse slots 5.in the edge of the other half ofthe forni, so that the two edges'are held together and at the same-time the two halves may be adjusted toward or from each other to vary the width of the toe form.

The parts 1 and 2 of the form are made of thin metal which is cut away or formed with any desired shape of openings to form per and permit theair to circulate free y Specification of Letters Patent.

embracing the rod 17 so that the upon the rod.

Patented July 6, 1909.

1909. Serial No. 472,191.

within the shoe to dry the upper, the dampness from which is carried through the open ings in the form. The two parts ol the body are formed along their lower edge with an inwardly extending flange 6 to engage and rest upon the insole of a shoe adjacent to the angle formed by the meeting 1' the insole and upper, the bottom of the form being otherwise entirely open so that the air has attached to the ears 7 y means cl short bolts 11 carried by the ears, passing through v longitudinal slots 12 in the lorwardly pro- ']ecting ends of the heel portion so that said heel portion may be turned freely upon the bolts and at the same time adjusted longitudinally thereon to vary the over-all length of the form,

The form is held in the shoe and its too portion forced into the shoe to stretch the upper and hold it in shape, by means ol :1

lever 13 pivoted intermediate its ends upon the transverse rod 14 mounted in the heel portion of the form. To the forward endol the lever 13 is pivoted a rack bar 15 having; teeth or notches 16 lo engage a transverse rod 17 carried by the toe POlllOllOl the form. The rack bar 15 is formed with a guard 18 rack bar may not bodiscngagcd from the rod, but

this guard leis Dlfllltd at such a distance from the ends of t 1e teeth that the bar may be liltedto disengage the teeth from the rod and permit of the free adjustment of the bar N hen the form is inserted Within the shoe the lever 13 is thrown lorwerd, and after the heel portion of the last has been adjusted longitudinally into cngagement with theshoe counter with one of the teeth of the rack in engagement with the rod 17 the lever 13 is turned by, means of its handle 19 into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. -This movement of the lever forces the heel and toe portions of the form in opposite directions and brings the too portion into firm contact with the shoe up per. ,The handle portion 19 oi the lever 3 is so made that when it is turned into engagement with the back of the heel portion 5 of the form the pivotal connection of the 1ever 13 to the bar 15 will be above a line drawn through the axis of the rod 17 and the pivot of the lever 13 and the lever and bar are thus locked in that position.

The two halves of the toe portion of the form are adjusted to vary the width of the form and held in their adjusted position by means of the rod 17 and a similar rod 20 extending across the form near the toe end. These rods are provided with a right and left hand screw thread at their opposite ends to engage screw threaded openings in bosses 21 on the sides of the form, and thus by turning the rods the halves of the form are drawn toward each other or s read apart according to the direction in whic the rods are turned.

It is often found desirable to stretch the shoe upper at some particular point to relieve the pressure, as upon a corn or bunion, and for this purpose a longitudinal slot 22 is formed in the side of the body at a point where these afflictions most commonly appear on the foot, as upon the outer side of the little toe or upon the toe joint, and in this slot 's adjustably secured a sleeve 23 which is internally screw threaded to receive the screw threaded shank 24 having upon its upper end a head or button 25 to engage the inner surface of the shoe upper and press the same outward. The sleeve 23 is formed with a ilange on its outer end to engage the outer side of the body and its inner end is screw threaded to receive a nut 26 to engage the inner side of the body and clamp the same to hold tht sleeve in place. By loosening the nut 26 the sleeve may be adjusted along the slot 22 to bring the button or head 25 to the exact point where it is desired to stretch the shoe upper. After the shoe form is in l c v r hi i the shoe and the head 25 adzper position, this head may l. to stetch the upper the ins a suitable tool .1 24 and turn- 5. :433 it is one or more of the u ed, or these do dig, go from the body not required.

my invention arising a toe portion and provided with n .;1.'. lOliiicti LU openings iii in;

upper side to form a skeleton I I body, cars extending reaiwrardly from the sides of said too portion, a heel portion formed of thin metal and having longitudinal slots in its forwardly extending side portions, bolts carried by the ears and engaging the slots to pivotally connect the heel and toe portions, and means for adjusting the heel and toe portions one relative to the other.

2. A shoe tree comprising a toe portion and a heel portion pivotally united and. adapted to be moved relatively inthe direction longitudinally of the form, a lever piv I otally supported by the heel portion, a rack l bar pivotally attached to one end of said lever and provided with a series of teeth, and a member carried by the toe portion adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the rack bar.

3. A shoe tree comprising a toe portion and a heel portion pivotally united and adapted to be moved longitudinally one with relation to the other, a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends upon the heel portion and adapted to engage at one end the end of the heel portion, a rack bar pivotally attached to the other end of said lever and provided with teeth, and a transverse member car 'ied by the toe portion adapted to be engaged by said teeth, said iJI'HDSVOISQmCHIbGI and the pivot of the lever being so positioned relative to the end of the heel portion that when said lever is turned with its end engaging the end of the heel portion its opposite end will be above the plane of said pivot and transverse memberto lock the lever in position.

4. In a shoe tree the combination with a hollow body portion having a slot, a member having a head, a shank on said head extending inward through the slot, a sleeve on the shank having a screw threaded engagement therewith, and means for adjustably securing the sleeve in the slot.

5 In shoe tree the combination of a hollow toe portion, a hollow heel portion pivotally attached to the toe portion and adapted to be moved longitudinally relative to the toe portion, a lever pivoted. to the heel. portion having an upwardly extending end forming oi the h of said lever and adapted to adjustably engage the toe portion and turn thereon when the lever is turned.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVlLLlAM 7L. KOHLER.

Viitnesses:

ii. Q. CH'APOTON it. la'r'rtn.

handle adapted to engage the end i a bar pivoted to-tne opposite end 

